Hijira: the Third Gender in Bangladesh

This article is adapted from a report by BBC Bangla service. More than 150 transgender students will study Islamic and vocational subjects free of charge at a privately-funded madrassa in the capital, Dhaka. Many in the transgender community identify as a third gender which is now officially recognised in Bangladesh. They have the right to vote and to stand for election as councilors and MPs, but conservative social attitudes still make it hard for them to access jobs and education. Some migrate to cities and support themselves by singing and dancing at weddings, by begging or through sex work.